#FirstMonday Day 1. Welcome.

“Entry Level: An individual who has yet to master general cybersecurity methodologies/principles. Individuals in this phase of the lifecycle may have job titles such as; associate cybersecurity analyst, associate network security analyst, and cybersecurity risk analyst for example.”

Congratulations, you finished school, got a couple certs under your belt, and made the leap into the ever-changing world of Cyber/Information Security. Welcome to the world of Jr.-this and Associate-that. Please, don’t get too hung up on job titles at this level. They really only mean something to management. The most important thing to do at this level is work and learn. I like that ISSA International defines this as “An individual who has yet to master general cybersecurity methodologies/principles.” This is spot on. At this level of the CSCL (You all remember what that stands for, right?), you need to be a Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades.

This is also the point in the CSCL that you will have the most wiggle room in terms of movement within an organization. As you progress in your career, it will be increasingly more difficult to move laterally within an organization. We will look into that in the coming months. This is also the perfect time to create a network of contacts within the industry at all levels and throughout the world. Chapter meetings and Industry conferences are the best way to do this. Like I’ve shared before, I met the owner of the first company I worked for at a Local ISSA Chapter meeting. We all work in the same industry, but we all have different jobs. Take advantage of this vast pool of knowledge.

Finally, because you are just starting out, don’t get too enamored with “Rockstar” jobs in the industry. I can give that advice, because I was guilty of it. You can get those jobs, but remember this is Day 1. There are dues to pay first.

Next month, we’ll bring you a real-life story of what the Entry Level looked like to one of our members.